Statement Issued On the Release of Randy Travis' 2012 DUI Arrest Tape

A little over five years ago, country great Randy Travis was arrested for DUI, one of a number of such arrests, but this time was a little different.

At the time, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety said that a car registered to Travis struck barricades in a construction zone and crashed. When the Texas Highway Patrol reached the scene, they found that Travis was not wearing any clothes and, in addition, threatened the lawmen.

A statement from Grayson County Sheriff’s office read “Travis had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and several signs of intoxication. While Travis was being transported, Travis made threats to shoot and kill the troopers working the case.”

In the years since, there has been a legal battle over the release of the tape of the arrest but, last week, a federal judge refused to block the release and the tape went viral. Travis and his lawyers had argued that the tape should be considered private under the health privacy laws but the judge disagreed.

On Monday (December 4), a statement was released by Travis and his legal team:

REGARDING THE RELEASE OF RANDY TRAVIS’ 2012 ARREST FOOTAGE

Randy’s behavior was extremely altered the evening of his arrest due to the state of his mental health, and substances in his body, causing him to do and say things that were entirely out of character. He suffered a severe concussion and sustained numerous other injuries from the crash.

Notwithstanding the release of the tape, Randy and his team will have their day in court regarding the ongoing lawsuit against the State of Texas in relation to the violation of his civil rights.

Randy Travis is well-known to be a loving, caring person who is respectful of everyone, a video that shows anything otherwise only underscores that he was absolutely not himself. Randy is deeply apologetic for his actions that evening. A man of integrity with a good heart, Randy does not and will never condone these types of actions that distort the true beliefs of Randy Travis and his entire family.

Travis continues to suffer effects from a 2013 stroke which left him, initially, unable to speak. He has recently been making more public appearances.